يا ابْن المدبِّر غرَّني الروَّادُ

يا ابْن المدبِّر غرَّني الروَّادُ

عَمِرُوا وليس لهم سواك مَرادُ

عَمِرُوا وليس لهم سواك مَرادُ

O Ibn al-Mudabbir, the scouts deceived me.

O son of the deceiver, the hosts have deceived me,

Long may they live, with no destination but you!

They lived well and had none but you as their desire,

أدعو على الشُّعراء أخبثَ دعوة

أدعو على الشُّعراء أخبثَ دعوة

إذْ مجَّدُوك وغيرُك الأمجادُ

إذْ مجَّدُوك وغيرُك الأمجادُ

I call down the foulest curse upon the poets

I invoke upon the poets the most wicked invocation,

For glorifying you, when others are the noble ones.

For they glorified you while others are the glories,

قل لي بأية حيلة أعملْتَها

قل لي بأية حيلة أعملْتَها

هتفوا بأنك لا حُفِظْتَ جوادُ

هتفوا بأنك لا حُفِظْتَ جوادُ

Tell me what trick you put to work

Tell me what trick you used,

To make them hail you as generous—may you not be spared!

They proclaimed you kept no generosity,

فَلَتِلْكَ أحسنُ من نوالك موقعاً

فَلَتِلْكَ أحسنُ من نوالك موقعاً

والعِلم أفضلُ ما أراه يُفادُ

والعِلم أفضلُ ما أراه يُفادُ

For that would please me more than your bounty,

To that end it is better for you to get a good position,

And knowledge is the finest acquisition I know.

And knowledge is the best thing I see that benefits,

لقد استفاض لك الثناءُ بحيلةٍ

لقد استفاض لك الثناءُ بحيلةٍ

صعْبُ الأمورِ بمثلها ينقادُ

صعْبُ الأمورِ بمثلها ينقادُ

Praise of you has indeed spread through a trick

Praise for you has spread with a trick,

The like of which subdues difficult affairs.

Difficult matters are subdued by the like of it,

لو أنَّها عندي غدوتُ مخلَّداً

لو أنَّها عندي غدوتُ مخلَّداً

ما خُلِّدتْ أمُّ الهضاب نَضَادُ

ما خُلِّدتْ أمُّ الهضاب نَضَادُ

Had I possessed it, I would have lived forever,

If I had it, I would have become immortalized,

As long as Naḍād, mother of the hills, endures.

The Mother of Plateaus would not have become immortal,

حتى كأنِّي في صرارك درهمٌ

حتى كأنِّي في صرارك درهمٌ

أو في مَزاودك الحريزة زادُ

أو في مَزاودك الحريزة زادُ

So that I would seem a dirham in your purse,

It is as if I am a dirham in your pouches,

Or provisions in your closely guarded food bags.

Or the treasure in your bidding and bartering,

بل ما عهدتُك وارتيادُك بالغٌ

بل ما عهدتُك وارتيادُك بالغٌ

بك حيلةً يرتادها المرتادُ

بك حيلةً يرتادها المرتادُ

Yet I have never known you, for all your searching,

But I did not know you and your frequenting to be eloquent,

To reach a trick that any seeker might discover.

With you a trick he plans to frequent,

أنَّى وأنتَ مضلَّلٌ لا تهتدي

أنَّى وأنتَ مضلَّلٌ لا تهتدي

رُشداً ولا يَهْديكَه إرشادُ

رُشداً ولا يَهْديكَه إرشادُ

How could you, when you are misguided and cannot find

How could you be guided, you who are misguided,

The right way, nor can guidance lead you there?

To righteousness, and no guidance guides you,

ما كان مِثْلُكَ يهتدي لمحالة

ما كان مِثْلُكَ يهتدي لمحالة

حاشاك ذاك وأنْ تكون تُكادُ

حاشاك ذاك وأنْ تكون تُكادُ

One like you could never discover a stratagem;

The like of you cannot possibly be guided,

Far be that from you, or that anyone should scheme against you!

Far be it from you, that is improbable,

لكنَّ جدْبَ الناس طال فأصبحوا

لكنَّ جدْبَ الناس طال فأصبحوا

يُرضيهمُ الإبراقُ والإرعادُ

يُرضيهمُ الإبراقُ والإرعادُ

But people's drought lasted so long that they became

But people's sterility has been prolonged so they are pleased

Content with lightning flashes and thunder.

With lightning and thunder,

نحلَتْكَ حَمْدَ الحامديك مَواعدٌ

نحلَتْكَ حَمْدَ الحامديك مَواعدٌ

كُذُبٌ تجودُ بها وأنت جمادُ

كُذُبٌ تجودُ بها وأنت جمادُ

Promises bestowed on you your praisers' praise—

Your praised bestowed on you false promises,

False promises you lavish, though you are a lifeless thing.

Lies you generous with, yet you are inanimate,

بل ليس في الأفقين منك سحابةٌ

بل ليس في الأفقين منك سحابةٌ

للوعْدِ مِبراقٌ ولا مرْعادُ

للوعْدِ مِبراقٌ ولا مرْعادُ

No—neither horizon holds any cloud from you

But there is no cloud in the two horizons from you,

To flash lightning or thunder out promises.

A lightning for promise, nor a thunder for appointment,

ولأنت أحْسَمُ للمطامع والمنى

ولأنت أحْسَمُ للمطامع والمنى

من ذاك حين يَشيمُك الروَّادُ

من ذاك حين يَشيمُك الروَّادُ

You sever hopes and wishes more completely

You are most decisive against hopes and wishes,

Than that, when the scouts watch you for rain.

When the hosts expose you,

أنت الذي آلى بكلِّ أليَّةٍ

أنت الذي آلى بكلِّ أليَّةٍ

ألا يُبَلَّ بريقه ميعادُ

ألا يُبَلَّ بريقه ميعادُ

You are the one who swore with every oath

You who has failed with every failure,

That no promise should be moistened with his spit.

That his brilliance not be moistened with appointment,

بل أنت أجدر حين تُسْأَل أن تُرى

بل أنت أجدر حين تُسْأَل أن تُرى

ومكان وعدك سائلاً إيعادُ

ومكان وعدك سائلاً إيعادُ

Rather, when asked, you are more likely to be found

But you are most deserving when asked to be seen,

Threatening a petitioner instead of promising him.

And instead of your promise, the questioner returns,

ما أنت والمعروف أو مفتاحُه

ما أنت والمعروف أو مفتاحُه

ذهبتْ بذَينك دونك الأجوادُ

ذهبتْ بذَينك دونك الأجوادُ

What have you to do with kindness, or its key?

What are you and the good deed or its key?

The generous have carried both away, leaving you out.

Your minds have taken you far from generosity,

لكن إخال معاشراً خيَّبتهُمْ

لكن إخال معاشراً خيَّبتهُمْ

نصبوا الحبائل للأُسى فأجادوا

نصبوا الحبائل للأُسى فأجادوا

But I suspect that people you disappointed

But associating with a people you disappointed,

Set snares for consolation, and set them well.

They set up intrigues for sorrow so they succeeded,

أثنوا عليك ليستميحك غيرُهُمْ

أثنوا عليك ليستميحك غيرُهُمْ

فيخيبَ خيبتَهم وتلك أرادوا

فيخيبَ خيبتَهم وتلك أرادوا

They praised you so that someone else would seek your bounty,

They praised you so others would appease you,

And suffer their disappointment—that was their aim.

So their disappointment is disappointed, and that is what they wanted,

أعيى عليهم صيدُ مالك فاغتدوا

أعيى عليهم صيدُ مالك فاغتدوا

يتعلَّلون بأُسْوةٍ تُصطادُ

يتعلَّلون بأُسْوةٍ تُصطادُ

Catching your wealth defeated them, so they set out

The prey of what you possess has escaped them so they transgressed,

To find relief in a fellow sufferer they could catch.

Justifying themselves with an example that is hunted,

ولهم أُسىً متقدماتٌ جمَّةٌ

ولهم أُسىً متقدماتٌ جمَّةٌ

لكن أحبَّ القوْم أن يزدادوا

لكن أحبَّ القوْم أن يزدادوا

They already had many consolations of that kind,

And they have abundant prior sorrow,

But the men wanted to add still more.

But the people most loved to increase,

أُثني عليك بمثل ريحك ميِّتاً

أُثني عليك بمثل ريحك ميِّتاً

في غبِّ يوم تزفُّك الأعوادُ

في غبِّ يوم تزفُّك الأعوادُ

I praise you with praise like your smell when dead,

I praise you with winds like you dead,

The day after the wooden bier bears you away.

On an absent day your biers carry you,

ولما صداك إذا نُبِشْتَ لثالثٍ

ولما صداك إذا نُبِشْتَ لثالثٍ

من مُلْحَدٍ وضجيعُك الإلحادُ

من مُلْحَدٍ وضجيعُك الإلحادُ

And your corpse, if dug up on the third day

And when your voice is called if exhumed a third time,

From a burial niche, with unbelief your bedfellow,

By an atheist and your companion is atheism,

يوماً بأنتن منك حيّاً تُجتَدى

يوماً بأنتن منك حيّاً تُجتَدى

لا زال نتنُك دائباً يزدادُ

لا زال نتنُك دائباً يزدادُ

Would never smell worse than you alive, petitioned for gifts.

One day stinking of you alive are kindled,

May your stench go on increasing without cease.

Your stink does not cease to increase,

وغدت بجودك شبهةٌ خدَّاعةٌ

وغدت بجودك شبهةٌ خدَّاعةٌ

قامتْ ببخلك بعدها الأشهادُ

قامتْ ببخلك بعدها الأشهادُ

A deceptive illusion of your generosity arose;

You became with your generosity a deceitful suspicion,

Then witnesses stood forth to attest your stinginess.

After it testimonies arose with your stinginess,

أرويتُ بالإصدار عنك حوائمي

أرويتُ بالإصدار عنك حوائمي

لما أطال غليلَها الإيرادُ

لما أطال غليلَها الإيرادُ

I quenched my circling herd's thirst by leading it away from you,

I quenched with your issuance my fervors,

When bringing it to water only prolonged its burning thirst.

When their resentment had prolonged duration,

وسلوتُ ذكراك التي من مثلها

وسلوتُ ذكراك التي من مثلها

تَجْوى القلوبُ وتقْرحُ الأكبادُ

تَجْوى القلوبُ وتقْرحُ الأكبادُ

And I let your memory go—the kind of memory

And I consoled your mention that the hearts,

That sickens hearts and ulcerates livers.

Are inflamed by the like of it and the livers are gashed,

آنستُ صدراً طالما أوحشْتَه

آنستُ صدراً طالما أوحشْتَه

لا زال يُؤنس رحْلَك العُوَّادُ

لا زال يُؤنس رحْلَك العُوَّادُ

I comforted a breast you had long made desolate;

I befriended a breast you had long made desolate,

May sickbed visitors always keep your dwelling company.

Your departing company does not cease to console it,

وكأنَّ ذاك الذكْر أسودُ يعْتري

وكأنَّ ذاك الذكْر أسودُ يعْتري

منه سويداء الفؤاد سَوادُ

منه سويداء الفؤاد سَوادُ

That memory seemed a black snake, from which

It is as if that mention is darkness that spreads,

Darkness assailed the black core of the heart.

From it the blackness of the heart spreads,

بل إنما اتصلتْ بذكرك خَطْرَتي

بل إنما اتصلتْ بذكرك خَطْرَتي

أيامَ صدري ليس فيه فؤادُ

أيامَ صدري ليس فيه فؤادُ

No—thoughts of you came to me only

But my thoughts joined your mention truly,

In days when my breast contained no heart.

Days of my breast in which there is no heart,

فاذهب كما ذهب السَّقَامُ إلى التي

فاذهب كما ذهب السَّقَامُ إلى التي

ما بعدها للذاهبين معادُ

ما بعدها للذاهبين معادُ

So go, as sickness went, to that place

So go just as malady went to she,

From which the departed never return.

After whom there is for the departed no return,

لا تَبْعدنَّ من الذي تُكْنَى به

لا تَبْعدنَّ من الذي تُكْنَى به

وهو الذي تفسيرُه الإبعادُ

وهو الذي تفسيرُه الإبعادُ

May you never be far from the name you bear,

Do not distance from the one you are nicknamed,

Whose meaning is banishment.

And he is the one whose interpretation is distancing,

شاورتَ فيَّ وفي ثوابي خالياً

شاورتَ فيَّ وفي ثوابي خالياً

رأياً لعمرك لا يليه سدادُ

رأياً لعمرك لا يليه سدادُ

Alone, about me and my reward, you consulted

You consulted regarding me and my reward in private,

An opinion—by your life!—that sound judgment never follows.

An opinion, by your life, followed by no propriety,

فأراك حرماني وقال قوارصٌ

فأراك حرماني وقال قوارصٌ

تأتيك أنت لمثلها معتادُ

تأتيك أنت لمثلها معتادُ

It advised you to deprive me, saying: 'Biting words

So I see you depriving me, and the watchers said,

Will reach you; you are accustomed to their like.'

You come for the likes of it accustomed,

خَيَّبْتَني ثقةً بلؤمك إنه

خَيَّبْتَني ثقةً بلؤمك إنه

لمن استعد لشاتمٍ لَعتادُ

لمن استعد لشاتمٍ لَعتادُ

You disappointed me, trusting in your baseness; it is

You disappointed me a trust with your vices, he is,

Equipment indeed for one preparing to face a reviler.

For one who prepares for an insulter, a habitual one,

عن مثله نكص الهجاء مقهقِراً

عن مثله نكص الهجاء مقهقِراً

ونَبَتْ سيوفُ الشتم وهي حِدادُ

ونَبَتْ سيوفُ الشتم وهي حِدادُ

Before its like, satire recoiled in retreat,

The likes of it invective recoils retreating,

And the swords of abuse glanced off, though sharp.

And the swords of insult sprang up sharpened,

لا أنَّ لؤمَك جُنَّة لكنه

لا أنَّ لؤمَك جُنَّة لكنه

نَجَسٌ يعاف ورودَه الورَّادُ

نَجَسٌ يعاف ورودَه الورَّادُ

Not that your baseness is a shield, but that it is

Not that your vices are a shield, but it,

Filth that water-seekers loathe to approach.

Is impure, its roses shunned by the perfumers,

كم ذاد عنك من الهجاء غريبةً

كم ذاد عنك من الهجاء غريبةً

لا يستطيع ذِيادها الذُّوَّادُ

لا يستطيع ذِيادها الذُّوَّادُ

How many a novel barb of satire it has warded off from you,

How much it defended you from invective strangely,

Which no defenders could have repelled!

The vinegrowers cannot increase it,

فاشكره إن خلَّاك تشكر منعماً

فاشكره إن خلَّاك تشكر منعماً

سُدٌّ أمامك منه بل أسدادُ

سُدٌّ أمامك منه بل أسدادُ

So thank it, if it lets you thank a benefactor:

So thank it if it left you to thank a benefactor,

Before you stands a barrier of its making—no, many barriers.

A barrier in front of you, but more so barricades,

لو رُمْتَ صالحةً لغالك دونها

لو رُمْتَ صالحةً لغالك دونها

سجنٌ وقيدٌ منه بل أَقيادُ

سجنٌ وقيدٌ منه بل أَقيادُ

If you sought a good deed, you would be waylaid before it

If you had desired a conciliation beneath it,

By a prison and a fetter of its making—no, many fetters.

Imprisonment and shackles from it but more so fetters,

لا زال ذاك السجن منك مظنةً

لا زال ذاك السجن منك مظنةً

وتضاعفتْ فيه لك الأصفادُ

وتضاعفتْ فيه لك الأصفادُ

May that prison always be where one expects to find you,

That prison remains from you a presumption,

And may your fetters within it multiply.

And your restraints in it multiplied,

لؤْمٌ أبى لك شكْرَ ما أولاكَهُ

لؤْمٌ أبى لك شكْرَ ما أولاكَهُ

والشرُّ منه لنفْسِه أمْدادُ

والشرُّ منه لنفْسِه أمْدادُ

A baseness that forbade you to thank it for what it gave you;

Vice refused you gratitude for what endowed you,

The evil it breeds supplies reinforcements to itself.

And evil for itself is aid,

وأما وذاك اللؤم لؤْماً إنه

وأما وذاك اللؤم لؤْماً إنه

لؤمٌ سبقتَ به الزمان تِلادُ

لؤمٌ سبقتَ به الزمان تِلادُ

And, by that baseness—baseness indeed—it is

As for that vice being vice, it is,

An ancestral baseness with which you preceded Time.

Vice you preceded the eras begetting,

لئن اجتوتك له شتائم أصبحتْ

لئن اجتوتك له شتائم أصبحتْ

من شتمها إياه وهي تعادُ

من شتمها إياه وهي تعادُ

If insults have come to loathe you for it,

If it gathered for you insults, they become,

From reviling it as they are repeated,

From insulting it, reiterated,

لَتُلاقِينَّ شتائمي ناريَّةً

لَتُلاقِينَّ شتائمي ناريَّةً

لا يجتويك حريقُها الوقَّادُ

لا يجتويك حريقُها الوقَّادُ

You will surely meet my fiery invectives,

You will surely meet my fiery invectives,

Whose fiercely burning flame will not find you repugnant.

Its burning does not warm you climates,

فكذاك نار الهُون تَرْأم أهلها

فكذاك نار الهُون تَرْأم أهلها

حتى كأنَّهُمُ لها أولادُ

حتى كأنَّهُمُ لها أولادُ

Thus the fire of humiliation cherishes its own people,

So is the fire of disgrace, it heals its people,

As though they were its children.

As if they are its children,

فاهرُبْ وأينَ بهاربٍ من طالبٍ

فاهرُبْ وأينَ بهاربٍ من طالبٍ

في كلِّ مُطَّلعٍ له مرصادُ

في كلِّ مُطَّلعٍ له مرصادُ

Flee, then! But where can a fugitive escape a pursuer

So flee, and where can a fleer from a pursuer flee,

Who has an ambush at every approach?

In every emerging dawn for him there is an ambush,

خذها إليك من الملابس ملبساً

خذها إليك من الملابس ملبساً

تشقى به الأرواحُ والأجسادُ

تشقى به الأرواحُ والأجسادُ

Take this as a garment among garments,

Take it to you from the clothes as a garment,

In which souls and bodies suffer:

The souls and bodies suffer misery in it,

ضَنْكاً إذا زُرَّتْ عليك زُرُورُه

ضَنْكاً إذا زُرَّتْ عليك زُرُورُه

ضاق الخناق فلم يَسَعْكَ بلادُ

ضاق الخناق فلم يَسَعْكَ بلادُ

A constricting garment—when its buttons are fastened upon you,

Straitness, if its accessories are brought upon you,

The noose tightens, and no land has room for you.

The strangulation narrows so the countries cannot contain you,

ولئنْ شقيت بلُبْسِ بردٍ مثلها

ولئنْ شقيت بلُبْسِ بردٍ مثلها

فلطالما شقِيَتْ بك الأبرادُ

فلطالما شقِيَتْ بك الأبرادُ

If wearing a cloak like this makes you suffer,

And if you suffer in wearing the like of it cold,

Cloaks have long suffered from being worn by you.

Then the innocent suffered from you the deserts,

ولتخْزَيَنَّ بها إذا ما أنشدتْ

ولتخْزَيَنَّ بها إذا ما أنشدتْ

أضعافَ ما يُزْهَى بها الإنشادُ

أضعافَ ما يُزْهَى بها الإنشادُ

When it is recited, it will surely shame you

And you will be disgraced with it if I recite,

Many times more than it glorifies its recitation.

Multiples of what makes recital ashamed,

لا تفرحنَّ بحسنها وجمالها

لا تفرحنَّ بحسنها وجمالها

فليرحمنك فيهما الحسَّادُ

فليرحمنك فيهما الحسَّادُ

Do not rejoice in its excellence and beauty;

Do not rejoice in its beauty and grace,

Let even the envious pity you for those two.

For may the envious have mercy on you in them,

ولأرمينَّك بعدها بقصائد

ولأرمينَّك بعدها بقصائد

فيها لكل رَميَّةٍ إقصادُ

فيها لكل رَميَّةٍ إقصادُ

And afterward I will surely shoot poems at you,

And I will pelt you after it with poems,

Every shot in them a killing hit.

In which for every pelting there is intention,

لو خَيَّسَتْ فرعونَ ذلَّ لوقعها

لو خَيَّسَتْ فرعونَ ذلَّ لوقعها

فرعونُ ذو الأوتاد والأوتادُ

فرعونُ ذو الأوتاد والأوتادُ

If they held Pharaoh captive, their impact would humble

If it disgraced Pharaoh fallen for its falling,

Pharaoh, lord of the stakes—and the stakes themselves.

Pharaoh of the pegs and pegs would fall,

عُتْباك منها أن غضبْتَ مقالتي

عُتْباك منها أن غضبْتَ مقالتي

ستُزادُ يا ابن مدبّرٍ وتُزادُ

ستُزادُ يا ابن مدبّرٍ وتُزادُ

Your appeasement for being angered by them is my saying:

Your anger at it that I spoke my saying,

'You shall get more, O Ibn Mudabbir—and still more!'

Will increase O son of the deceiver, and increase,

من كل سائرةٍ بذمِّك يَرْتمي

من كل سائرةٍ بذمِّك يَرْتمي

بِركابها الأغْوار والأنجادُ

بِركابها الأغْوار والأنجادُ

From every far-traveling poem of your disgrace, borne

From every traveler in your dispraise casts,

On its mounts across lowlands and highlands.

With its riding animals the deserts and groves,

شنعاء تُضْرم فيك نار شناعةٍ

شنعاء تُضْرم فيك نار شناعةٍ

تبقى نوائرُها وأنت رمادُ

تبقى نوائرُها وأنت رمادُ

A hideous poem, kindling in you a fire of infamy,

Ugly, igniting in you a fire of ugliness,

Whose flames remain when you are ashes.

Its flames persist as you become ashes,

تحْبوك بدْأتُها بذكْرٍ نابِهٍ

تحْبوك بدْأتُها بذكْرٍ نابِهٍ

عُقباه إخْمالٌ هو الإخْمادُ

عُقباه إخْمالٌ هو الإخْمادُ

Its beginning grants you conspicuous fame,

I began it with a sharp mention,

Whose aftermath is obscurity—utter extinction.

Its conclusion is suppression, which is suppression,

ولَقلَّ ما يُجْدِي على متبجِّحٍ

ولَقلَّ ما يُجْدِي على متبجِّحٍ

ذكْرٌ يُماتُ بنَشْرِه فيُبادُ

ذكْرٌ يُماتُ بنَشْرِه فيُبادُ

Little indeed does it profit a braggart

And seldom does mention benefit an insolent one,

To have fame killed by its spreading, then obliterated.

A mention that kills with its broadcasting so he perishes,

ما ينفع الحطبَ المحَرَّقَ في الصِّلا

ما ينفع الحطبَ المحَرَّقَ في الصِّلا

ضوءٌ جريرتُه عليه فسادُ

ضوءٌ جريرتُه عليه فسادُ

What use to wood consumed in the blaze

The kindled firewood is not benefited in the ashes,

Is light whose crime against it is destruction?

By a light whose flowing upon it is corruption.